A chat with Quinn Clark about their book, 365 Days of Healing (Summersdale, 2024)
How would you describe 365 Days of Healing in one sentence?
365 Days of Healing is a pocket-sized mental health guide to help you during difficult days, with a mental health tip for every day of the year!
How did the idea for 365 Days of Healing come about?
So 365 Days of Healing wasn’t my idea: it was a book commissioned by Summersdale Publishing. They have this lovely little series of similar self-help books including, 365 Days of Inspiration, and 365 Days of Kindness. I’m in Summersdale’s database as an author who writes about mental health, so they contacted me if I’d be interested in writing this instalment—and the rest is history!
What was the process of researching and writing the healing tips?
The first thing I did was go over all the resources and notes I’d made over my own years of therapy, as well as tips I’d come across and used in my work as an access support worker. Being through CBT, DBT and EMDR and working with other neurodivergent, anxious, depressed and traumatised people, I’ve amassed loads of tips into a kind of ‘grounding toolbox’. They’re all quick hacks to try and restore a little internal stability and ‘recalibrate’ your nervous system. When we’re triggered, anxious, or suicidal, it can be incredibly hard to access the ‘logical’ parts of our brain and do the things we need to do to feel better. So, when I was writing these tips, I kept the following question in mind: ‘What would actually help me when I’m feeling at my worst?’And the thing is, many of these tips might not seem like they would help on the surface! I discovered that almost all the tips fit into the following categories: distraction; humour; sensory input (increasing or reducing it); acknowledging emotions, and letting them out. I cross-referenced all my own tips with people in my life as well as mental health ‘life-hack’ resources (articles, journals, books, blogs, etc.) and came out the other side with 365!
How long did the book take to write?
The book took a little over three months to write, with quite a bit more in revision – you’d be surprised how many tips were like each other in the beginning! I would say the editing was trickier than the writing, but I was determined to get this right for the sake of those who really need a book like this.
I really liked the combination of the motivational tips with the celebrity quotes – how did you source the latter?
Sourcing the celebrity quotes was the hardest part of writing the book! There are hundreds of websites full of so-called ‘inspirational quotes’ attributed to celebrities…but then you keep reading and find out that they’re all quoting each other with zero source! There were so many points during my research where I had to discount a quote because I was unable to find a reliable source, such as a direct interview in a reputable article. My years in academia have drilled into me the importance of citing sources, and during the editing process I sent over all the sources I collected to Summersdale along with the quotes!
Which is your favourite of the 365 tips?
Ooh, that’s a tricky one! I use a lot of the tips myself (my partner and I keep a copy on the coffee table for rough days!) but I think my favourite is 22nd August:
Think of yourself like a plant. At our core, human beings are very simple. We need water and sunlight, just like a plant! When you’re struggling and don’t have an obvious answer as to why, check in with those needs. Have you drunk enough? When was the last time you got some sunlight?
It may sound silly to some people, but it’s so easy for us to forget our basic human needs, especially when we’re feeling terrible about ourselves. Sometimes the simplest answer is the right one. Drinking water and getting some sun won’t fix all your problems, but it may help you feel a little better so that you can continue helping yourself.
Have you tried out all the tips yourself? If not, which ones have you not tried but plan to?
Lots of the tips come from my own experience, so I have tried most of them! There are some tips which aren’t applicable to me (for instance: I can’t swim, and my hair is too short to tie back in a ponytail), but those which I haven’t tried have been picked up from the ‘toolboxes’ of therapists and individuals who struggle with their mental health. Most of the tips focus on mindfulness: grounding (bringing yourself back to the present moment) and urge-surfing (or ‘riding the wave’ of strong emotions). Those two ideas make up the backbone of CBT and DBT, and they really do make life more bearable!
How did you choose a publisher?
I didn’t—they chose me!
Do you have any other writing projects in the pipeline?
Haha, I do! For the past four years I’ve been writing a science-fiction book called ‘Out of Your Depth’. It follows the bizarre tale of Dr Alexander Naut: a marine biologist who grows octopus arms when his skin touches saltwater. I’m in the middle of a 70,000-word rewrite right now, and after a much-needed break am getting back to writing in January!
Have you any events planned to promote the book?
I am so excited to have been interviewed by Emma Millen over at BBC Upload for the book! You can listen to the interview here: Upload with Emma Millen - 365 Days of Healing - BBC Sounds. I’m not sure about any future events now, but I’m sure 2025 will be full of surprises!
Buy 365 Days of Healing here:
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